Mimmie Claudine Watts hopes to shift the conversation towards migrants and health services during her role as commissioner.
The Caroline Springs resident, and Victoria University lecturer, was recently appointed as one of the six new members of the Victorian Multicultural Commission.
The commission meets monthly to develop strategies and canvass issues that impact on the ease of resettlement for migrants, and help multicultural communities.
“It’s a fantastic honour to be recognised for the work that I’ve been doing at the community level,” Dr Watts said.
“Even though I’ve been doing a lot of the things out of pleasure, to get that recognition at the state level is amazing.”
Dr Watts, who lectures in health sciences, said she is committed to bringing health equity to the forefront at the commission meetings.
“I’m an African woman, of course, but I just think at my level I cannot tie myself to an ethnic group,” she said.
“For me, it’s about helping people who need my help the most. My whole mission is about helping to create opportunities and also to help educate people on their basic rights.”
Dr Watts said it is imperative that governments and community organisations shift discussion from solely focussing on settlement services.
“One of the key things I’d like to see happening is [to bridge] the nexus between health and migration.
“We really need to move away from just settlement services and start talking about the health services,” Dr Watts said.
